North Carolina has reported a record single-day increase in COVID-19 cases on Wednesday (December 9.)
The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services announced 6,495 new positive COVID-19 cases, which is the highest total for a single-day and the third time in the past week that the state reported a more than 6,000 new cases in one day during the past week, ABC 11 reports.
The NCDHHS is also reporting more than 2,440 patients are currently hospitalized with complications from the coronavirus, which is also the most reported during the pandemic and 67 more than the previous day. North Carolina has not reported less than 1,000 new cases during a 24-hour span at any point during the past two months.
The state currently has a positive rate of 11.7%, which far exceeds the health department's set goal of 5% or fewer. Governor Roy Cooper directed many businesses to shut down before 10:00 p.m. in an effort to slow the spread of COVID-19 across the state, including bars and restaurants.
Gov. Cooper is also asking residents to stay home between the hours of 10:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. amid the spike in positive cases, hospitalizations and deaths in relation to the coronavirus.
Grocery chains and some retail stores will still be allowed to operate past 10:00 p.m. if they choose to do so. The state is aiming to deliver its first shipments of COVID-19 vaccines to hospital workers next week, which includes 11 hospital sites expected to get early shipments of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine.
Photo: Getty Images